The Road Ahead

Before I came to live in Shreveport I had lived in three cities in less than a year. I lived in the heat and wide-open sky of North Texas, at the base of a great mountain in Virginia and in a small cabin on the swampy shores of Caddo Lake. During that time I could fit everything I owned in a one-ton 4x4 OD green Chevy Suburban. I had great adventures, met fascinating people, and even made a few decent photos along the way.
Six years ago I came to a sliding halt here in Shreveport and although it has been a great six years, I have been feeling that itch to hit the road again for some time now. The call for a new scene out my window, a new terrain to tackle and a new assignment for my vision has proved too great to ignore.

So a couple weeks ago when the Tulsa World called and offered me a job, I jumped at the chance to feel a little bit of that excitement again. Sure the paper is bigger and the staff is bigger and the town is bigger and the sports are bigger. But the real draw was for a new view from behind the camera, new people and cultures and history that provide the subjects for the stories I love to tell. I think I will find that and more in the hills of northeastern Oklahoma when I start at the World in a few weeks.

But for now, I want you to know that I will miss all of you. The people who make Shreveport what it is and the culture that surrounds it are priceless to me. I have loved hearing and telling your stories, making your acquaintance and your photographs.
I may never cover another hurricane. I may never again spend a morning watching men harvest shrimp or cotton or crawfish. I may never again hear the deafening, dull roar of an LSU home game. And I almost certainly will never fly in a B-52 again. But I will always remember the experiences that I have had here and the people I have met.As I move on to my next assignment in life, I hope that you will all stay in touch and keep me updated on your lives and the life of the city.